We show that all current formalisms for quarks in lattice QCD are consistent in the quenched continuum limit, as they should be. We improve on previous extrapolations to this limit, and the understanding of lattice systematic errors there, by using a constrained fit including both leading and sub-leading dependence on a.
We compute charm and bottom quark masses in the quenched approximation and in the continuum limit of lattice QCD. We make use of a step scaling method, previously introduced to deal with two scale problems, that allows to take the continuum limit of the lattice data. We determine the RGI quark masses and make the connection to the MSbar scheme. The continuum extrapolation gives us a value m_b^{RGI} = 6.73(16) GeV for the b-quark and m_c^{RGI} = 1.681(36) GeV for the c-quark, corresponding respectively to m_b^{MSbar}(m_b^{MSbar}) = 4.33(10) GeV and m_c^{MSbar}(m_c^{MSbar}) = 1.319(28) GeV. The latter result, in agreement with current estimates, is for us a check of the method. Using our results on the heavy quark masses we compute the mass of the Bc meson, M_{Bc} = 6.46(15) GeV.
We improve a previous quenched result for heavy-light pseudoscalar meson decay constants with the light quark taken to be the strange quark. A finer lattice resolution (a ~ 0.05 fm) in the continuum limit extrapolation of the data computed in the static approximation is included. We also give further details concerning the techniques used in order to keep the statistical and systematic errors at large lattice sizes L/a under control. Our final result, obtained by combining these data with determinations of the decay constant for pseudoscalar mesons around the D_s, follows nicely the qualitative expectation of the 1/m-expansion with a (relative) 1/m-term of about -0.5 GeV/m_PS. At the physical b-quark mass we obtain F_{B_s} = 193(7) MeV, where all errors apart from the quenched approximation are included.
We compute the decay constants for the heavy--light pseudoscalar mesons in the quenched approximation and continuum limit of lattice QCD. Within the Schrodinger Functional framework, we make use of the step scaling method, which has been previously introduced in order to deal with the two scale problem represented by the coexistence of a light and a heavy quark. The continuum extrapolation gives us a value $f_{B_s} = 192(6)(4)$ MeV for the $B_s$ meson decay constant and $f_{D_s} = 240(5)(5)$ MeV for the $D_s$ meson.
We present a lattice QCD calculation of the parameters alpha and beta which are necessary in the theoretical estimation of the proton lifetime in grand unified theories (GUTs) using chiral lagrangian approach. The simulation is carried out using the Wilson quark action at three gauge coupling constants in the quenched approximation. We obtain |alpha(2GeV)|=0.0091(08)(^{+10}_{-19})GeV^3 and |beta(2GeV)|=0.0098(08)(^{+10}_{-20})GeV^3 in the continuum limit where the first error is statistical and the second one is due to scale setting.
The renormalisation group running of the quark mass is determined non-perturbatively for a large range of scales, by computing the step scaling function in the Schroedinger Functional formalism of quenched lattice QCD both with and without O(a) improvement. A one-loop perturbative calculation of the discretisation effects has been carried out for both the Wilson and the Clover-improved actions and for a large number of lattice resolutions. The non-perturbative computation yields continuum results which are regularisation independent, thus providing convincing evidence for the uniqueness of the continuum limit. As a byproduct, the ratio of the renormalisation group invariant quark mass to the quark mass, renormalised at a hadronic scale, is obtained with very high accuracy.